REPORTED SPEECH

STATEMENTS
QUESTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS

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 Direct speech vs Indirect speech
(Quoted speech vs Reported speech)
 Direct speech: the style used in writing to
report what a speaker actually said, without
introducing any grammatical changes. The
speaker’s words may be written between
quotation marks. For example:
Actual utterance : “You are a liar.”
Direct speech/Quoted speech (use Quotation
Marks) : He said, “You are a liar.”

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 Direct speech vs Indirect speech
 Indirect speech or reported speech: the
speaker’s words are not reported as they were
actually said but are reported, for example, in
the form of a that- clause. For example:
indirect speech:
He said that you were a liar.

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 Reported statements :
tense changes
 Several grammatical changes occur in reported speech,
including a change of tense that is called back-shift (a
form that refers to an earlier time) . For example:
Direct speech:
She said, “I opened the can.”
Reported Speech:
She said that she had opened the can.
 Try this:
He said, “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

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Reported statements: other changes
 Besides tense changes, other words in direct speech need to be
changed. However the changes are not automatic. They depend on
when and where the statement is reported.
 Examples:
tomorrow - the next day/the following day/the previous day
yesterday - the day before
here - there
this / that – the
this morning – that morning
today – that day
tonight – that night
next / on Tuesday – the following Tuesday
last Tuesday – the previous Tuesday
the day after tomorrow – in two days’ time
ago – before / previously / earlier
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 QUOTED SPEECH vs
REPORTED SPEECH
 QUOTED SPEECH  REPORTED SPEECH
1. Ann said (that) she was
hungry.
2. Tom said (that) he needed
his pen.
Reported speech =
giving the idea (attitude /
judgement) of a speaker’s
words. Quotation marks are
pen.”
not used. Not all of the
Quoted speech = giving exact words are used;
speaker’s exact words.
Quotation marks are used. pronouns and verb forms
may change.
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 VERB FORMS in
REPORTED SPEECH
 QUOTED: Joe said, “I feel good.”
 REPORTED: Joe said he felt good.
 QUOTED: Sue said, “I am happy.”
 REPORTED: Sue said she was happy.

Note:
In formal English, if the reporting verb
(e.g. said) is in the past, the verb in the
noun clause is often also in the past form.
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 VERB FORMS in REPORTED SPEECH
 Ann said, “I am hungry.”

1. A: What did Ann just say? I didn’t hear her.

[noun clause]
B: She said [she is hungry] (informal Eng).

2. A: What did Ann say when she got home last night?
B: She said she was hungry (formal Eng).

3. Ann says (that) she is hungry.

(present tense reporting verb) 8
 Changes in verb form
 Note:
1. In informal English, often the verb in
the noun clause is not changed to a past
form, especially when words are reported
soon after they are said, as in 1.
2. In later reporting, or in formal English,
a past verb is commonly used, as in 2.
3. If the reporting verb is present tense
(e.g. says), no change is made in the noun
clause verb, as in 3.
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 QUOTED SPEECH
 SPEAKER’S EXACT  QUOTING THE
WORDS SPEAKERS’ WORDS
Jane: Cats are fun to watch. Jane said, “Cats are fun to
watch.”

Mike: Yes, I agree. They’re Mike said, “Yes, I agree.

graceful and They’re graceful
playful.
Do you own a cat? and playful. Do
you own a cat?”

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 HOW TO WRITE QUOTATIONS
1. Add a comma after said.
2. Add quotation marks.
3. Capitalize the first letter of the quotation.
4. Write the quotation. Add a final period.
5. Add quotation marks after the period.
6. When there are two (or more) sentences
in a quotation, put the quotation marks at
the beginning and end of the whole
quote.
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 How to write quotations
 “Cats are fun to  Notice that a
watch,” Jane comma (not a
said. period) is used at
the end of the
quoted sentence
when Jane said
comes after the
quote. 12
 How to write quotations
 “Do you own a  Notice that a
cat?” Mike question mark
asked. (not a comma) is
used at the end
of the quoted
question.

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 Exercise 1
 Write sentences in which you quote the
speaker’s exact words. Punctuate carefully.

1. Rita: I’m tired. I’m going to bed.

2. John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your
country can do for you. Ask what you can
do for your country.
3. The fox: I’m going to eat you.
The hare: You have to catch me first.
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 QUOTED SPEECH
 He said, “I work hard.”
 He said, “I am working hard.”

 He said, “I worked hard.”

 He said, “I have worked hard.”

 He said, “I am going to work hard.”

 He said, “I will work hard.”

 He said, “I can work hard.”

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 REPORTED SPEECH
FORMAL or LATER REPORTING
 He said he worked hard.
 He said he was working hard.

 He said he had worked hard.

 He said he had worked hard.

 He said he was going to work hard.

 He said he would work hard.

 He said he could work hard.

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 REPORTED SPEECH
INFORMAL or IMMEDIATE REPORTING

 He said he works hard.

 He said he is working hard.

 He said he worked hard.

 He said he has worked hard.

 He said he is going to work hard.

 He said he will work hard.

 He said he can work hard.

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Reported Speech to Quoted Speech

 Exercise!

 Reported:

This morning my mother asked me if I

had gotten enough sleep last night. I
told her that I was fine. I explained
that I didn’t need a lot of sleep. She
told me that I needed to take better
care of myself. 18
Reported Speech to Quoted Speech
 Answer to exercise!

 Quoted:
1) This morning my mother said, “Did you
get enough sleep last night?”
2) “I’m fine,” I replied. “I don’t need a lot of
sleep.”
3) She said, “You need to take better care of
yourself.”
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 Exercise 2
 Change the following into reported speech.
1. Sara said, “I need some help.”
2. Linda said, “I’m meeting Paul for dinner.”
3. Ms Woo said, “I have studied in
Manchester.”
4. Haris said, “I forgot to pay my electric bill.”
5. Tasha said, “I’m going to fly to Hawaii for
my vacation.”
6. I said, “I’ll carry the box up the stairs.”
7. Elizabeth said to me, “I can teach you to
cook.” 20
 Answers to Ex 1
1. Rita: I’m tired. I’m going to bed.
Rita said, “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

2. John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your country can

do for you. Ask what you can do for your
country.
John F Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country
can do for you. Ask what you can do for your
country.”

3. The fox: I’m going to eat you.

The hare: You have to catch me first.
The fox said, “I’m going to eat you.”
The hare said, “You have to catch me first.” 21
 Answers to Ex 2
1. Sara said that she needed some help.
2. Linda said that she was meeting Paul for
dinner.
3. Ms Woo said that she had studied in
Manchester.
4. Haris said that he had forgotten to pay his
electric bill.
5. Tasha said that she was going to fly to Hawaii
for her vacation.
6. I said that I would carry the box up the stairs.
7. Elizabeth said that she could teach me to cook .
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